New physical therapy device named SAM, for the Secure Ambulation Mode is based on technology originally developed and honed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
It is a wheeled walker that supports a patient ’s upper body weight and pelvis, and mimics hip joint movement. It was developed as a patented walker that supported the pelvis and imitated hip joint movement, which ultimately alleviated pain to injured patients by reducing the amount of weight placed on the legs.
In 2003, Enduro Medical Technologies, East Hartford, Conn., licensed these patented NASA technologies and modified the cable-compliant system into an advanced walker with a flexible harness that embraces the lower torso.
The SAM walker, born by way of NASA’s technology transfer program, also gives patients with degenerative conditions like severe arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s Disease, cerebral palsy, and Parkinson’s Disease an opportunity to safely extend their mobility.
Physical therapists at Kindred Hospital of Greensboro, N.C., have discovered yet another use for the technology. “We use SAM with bariatric patients – individuals who are remarkably overweight,” said Mark Castleberry, Director of Rehabilitation Services. “We have two SAMs, and are currently using one to aid a gentleman who is over 600 pounds.
More information about SAM walker is available on the NASA website here.